Thesis (M.Ed.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2004. / Bibliography: leaves 133-135.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, May, 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

M.Ed. / Information and communication technologies are effecting widespread changes in all spheres of life including the educational context of South African higher education. While a great deal of emphasis is placed on the issue of bandwidth, and rightly so, the broader context in which the mediation of learning with computers takes place is still to a large degree neglected. It is within this context that the learning experiences of first time e-learners who had participated in the online semester course Education 2A at the R.A.U. University were examined. These students initially appeared to experience great difficulty adapting to the mode of participation in e-learning activity, suggesting that there was a mismatch between the values and priorities of learning as mediated by the web medium and the epistemology of learners situated in cultural practice. The initial problem of struggling to adapt to e-learning, was contextualised as a reciprocal process of interactivity in which the e-learner establishes a relationship with the cultural practice as the result of epistemological, methodological and ontological change. Sociocultural and activity theory provided the main theoretical foundation of this inquiry. In this theory there is a distinction between operations, actions and the overall activity that governs these and that situate the actions. The inquiry was therefore motivated by the need to understand and give substance to the learning experiences of first time e-learners within a systemic view of human computer interaction, as opposed to a cognitive approach to systems design (Kapetelinin in Nardi, 1996:46). Consequently, the inquiry examined the dynamic, reciprocal relationship of interactivity as mediated by the web medium, and epistemological, methodological and ontological transformation of the elearner, as she interacts in this ecosocial system. Motivated by the nature of the research problem and the socioconstructivist theoretical framework which framed my thinking around this problem, the inquiry was designed as a component of a larger action inquiry (Henning, Fortuin, Grobler & Brown, in progress), based on the principle of "communicative rationality" as proposed by Habermas (Ewert, 199 I :34) and conducted as qualitative and interpretive research. It was aimed not so much at monitoring and evaluating the course, but more at capturing and assessing the nature of student learning, specifically the processes of student communication and reflection in their lived experience in the course.

This dissertation concerns the evaluation of the utilisation of e-Learning in public Further Education and Training Colleges for the provision of education and training. The literature study investigates the concept e-Learning, related terminology, benefits and drawbacks and their relevance to the FET sector in South Africa. The study identifies basic e-Learning requirements, that is, infrastructure, technical and human resources for the implementation of e-Learning in FET Colleges. Government policy initiatives that seek to assist FET Colleges in the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT), challenges and opportunities for the provision of education and training that FET Colleges have in e-Learning are also investigated. In order to realise the objectives of the study, separate structured pre-coded interviews with three senior managers representing the following Further Education and Training Colleges were held, Central Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni West and Sedibeng. The interviews covered issues relating to policy and availability of infrastructure and other resources for e-Learning. Self-administered questionnaires were also used to capture the views of middle managers on various e-Learning issues. Findings indicate that e-Learning is a superficial matter for FET institutions – a little known phenomenon. The available ICT infrastructure in FET Colleges is mainly used for management and administration. Access to the Internet is mainly for managers and educators and very limited for learners. There are also conflicting views on e- Learning between senior management and middle managers due to miscommunication. There is a skills shortage as far as e-Learning is concerned. / Mr. H.B. Klopper

M.Phil. Information management) / A great deal of research has been conducted on mobile technology globally, however very little research has been conducted on the role of mobile technology in the customisation of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) within higher education institutions (HEIs) and in specific within the University of Johannesburg (UJ). This study focuses specifically on the current trends and possible implementation of mobile technology within the learning process of students at HEIs. To date, existing research mostly focuses on the effectiveness of the VLE; very little of the research is dedicated towards asynchronous learning and even less to the possibility of enhancing or customising the VLE towards being available and accessible via mobile devices to end-users who are 'learners on the move'. With its focus on learners on the move, this study follows the Mixed Methods Research (MMR) approach in its research design to investigate the current trends and effectiveness of the VLE within HEIs and in particular at the UJ. It is also aimed at displaying the need for mobile technology to be developed and implemented at UJ. The research findings of this study are important as they provide HEIs generally, and the UJ specifically, a guide as to what appeals to digitally minded students in support of their learning experience through the possibility of mobile technology implementation. The UJ, as with all other HEIs, has a large responsibility in making this happen. HEIs must move forward in customising the VLE and act now to ensure a large acceptance from its end-users to engage in learning through collaboration. HEIs have to meet end-users' needs in order to make the mobile technology venture and m-learning enhancements in the near future successful. In summary, the v findings of this study show a clear demand for all modes of mobile access and learning from HEI students as end-users. M-learning is a new phenomenon; and universities that do not embrace it will soon be left behind if m-technology is not implemented. Keywords Virtual learning environment, higher education institutions, e-learning, mlearning, mobile technology, learning management systems, Blackboard, customisation

The Internet and World Wide Web provides huge amounts of information to individuals with access to it. Information is an important driving factor of education and higher education has experienced massive adoption rates of information and communication technologies, and accessing the Web is not an uncommon practice within a higher educational institution. The Web provides numerous benefits and many students rely on the Web for information, communication and technical support. However, the immense amount of information available on the Web has brought about some negative side effects associated with abundant information. Whether the Web is a positive influence on students’ academic well-being within higher education is a difficult question to answer. To understand how the Web is used by students within a higher education institution is not an easy task. However, there are ways to understand the Web usage behaviour of students. Using established methods for gathering useful information from data produced by an institution, Web usage behaviours of students within a higher education institution could be analysed and presented. This dissertation presents guidance for analysing Web traffic within a higher educational institution in order to gain insight into the Web usage behaviours of students. This insight can provide educators with valuable information to bolster their decision-making capacity towards achieving their educational goals.

As the competition increase in the Higher Education industry, marketing departments of Higher Education Institutions view students as consumers and market their institutions. At the mean time, universities around the world encourage their international offices to increase the foreign student enrollments. This research investigates the factors influencing international students’ choice of enrolling at Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) via the internet: international students’ Internet use to facilitate information search and decision making. This survey of international students from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) explored the Internet’s role in marketing international education. Based on this exploratory research, NMMU educational institutions gain insights of online customer service for successfully recruiting students. The results show that prospective overseas students do indeed use the internet. Overall evaluation of the factors influencing the use of the internet for enrolling at HEIs was determined by four factors: namely, perceived usefulness, consumer involvement, perceived ease of use and opinion leadership.

D.Phil. / The advances in information technologies have created an array of possibilities for today's learners in institutions of higher education. Kaye (1989) predicted that online education would ultimately emerge as a new educational paradigm, taking its place alongside conventional (face to face) education as well as distance education, and even changing the face of education in general. Although online education is becoming a common component of higher education, Wang & Newlin, (2000) confirm that relatively little is known about the characteristics of learners who choose to enroll for courses in an online learning environment. Schlosser and Anderson (1997) published a report entitled Distance education: Review of the literature in which they did not cite a single study on the characteristics of online learners. What seem to remain unanswered out of the literature are the questions: > Who are the students who undertake and succeed in online learning? > Are these students different from students who take and succeed in traditional, face-to-face classes? The answers to these questions are critical for the future of higher education.

An exploratory study was conducted examining Internet usage among African-American college students. The study examined both psychosocial correlates, including technological anxiety and racial identity as well as socioeconomic measures, as they impacted Internet usage. Additionally, three distinct measures of Internet usage, thin access, thick access and the Internet Connectedness Index (ICI), were used as criterion variables in three separate multiple regression analysis (MRA) models. The results of the study found differences in predictive validity based on the criterion variable used, with the ICI accounting for the greatest amount of variance (54%). Racial identity, in terms of internal beliefs and feelings about being African American and internalization of Afrocentric values in a political context were found to be predictive of Internet usage as measured by the ICI.

Online learning has been widely adopted in higher education to reach students who typically would not have a chance to complete accredited courses (Kentnor, 2015). Massive open online courses (MOOC), which is a type of online learning, makes it easier for people to take university courses with internet access and a fraction of cost compared to traditional residential programs (Reich, 2020). MOOCs also become popular for those who want to increase their professional profile or advance their academic career (Pheatt, 2017). However, online learning has long been criticized for its universally low completion rates, high dropout rate and poor learning performance (Almeda et al., 2018). This phenomenon is more exacerbated in MOOC environments. Historical studies have attempted to support learner self-regulated learning (SRL) activities in order to enhance completion rates and academic outcomes. Prior studies have conducted pre-course questionnaires as inexpensive SRL interventions to prompt learners as SRL support(Kizilcec et al., 2017, Kizilcec & Cohen, 2017; Kizilcec et al., 2020; Yeomans & Reich, 2017). Yet, these one-time-only, short-term interventions only yield limited or no effects. This study implemented and evaluated the effectiveness of an alternative intervention, the self-regulated learning user interface (SRLUI), to support students' self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies in a MOOC environment. SRLUI is based on Zimmerman’s (2000) SRL model and develops learner’s SRL skills through longitudinal, recurring practice of multiple SRL dimensions activities (i.e., goal setting, self-evaluation, task planning, setting reminders) with content-specific information. The study utilized a randomized experimental design and implemented SRLUI in eight MOOCs with a total of 808 participants. The results indicated a higher usage rate of SRL support compared to the historical findings, which may be owing to the SRL support embedded into the learning activities throughout the course. Also, the study showed improved learning outcomes for a subgroup of participants, but there was no reduction in the number of dropouts. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that a personalized SRL tool featuring content-specific information should be embedded in online courses. The research design also recorded direct cognitive records of learners' SRL activities, which yield stronger validity compared to trace and survey data. The result suggested SRLUI might only benefit a subgroup of learners with passing grades. Thus, it is recommended that future research identify various subgroups of learner profiles in MOOC environments and to consider how to reach and support learners in different subgroups.